Environmental Economics: A Critical Overview

A comprehensive, jargon-free introductory text on the issues, ideas, theories and problems of environmental economics, ideal for both students of economics and those without economic training.
Environmental Eeconomics is a fundamental area of environmental studies covering the exploitation, evaluation and conservation of natural resources, and the impact of this on local, regional, national and international economics. This book stresses the links between economic concepts and real world issues and deals with population, natural resources, valuation, environmental regulation, economic instruments, cost-benefit analysis, waste, water resources, air pollution, global warming, biodiversity and world trade.
It covers a range of controversial issues and developments and yet is a straight forward introduction to the field.

This book seeks to demonstrate that while the prophets of doom and gloom have been largely confounded, there are in the greater distance still limitations to growth. The key limitation is population and the rate of population growth, as it appears beyond doubt that further marginal increases in the production of food are being achieved with increasing rates of marginal environmental damage. World population needs to achieve a stable situation early in the 21st century, to ease the growing pressure on soil and agricultural resources, fisheries, and the availability of water. Population stability becomes particularly important when considering the need for a rising standard of living for most of the world's population and the urgent need for the alleviation of poverty experienced by too many. To achieve all this will impose demands on the entire range of resources within a finite world.

However, the tone of the book is essentially cornucopian; that a rising standard of living for all is within reach, that many of the Earth's resources are as yet unexploited, and that most environmental problems are amenable to solution. Further, this can be achieved without the imposition of restraints on consumption by the developed world, as urged by some. A declining standard of living in the West with the rationing of petrol and cars, with timed energy consumption, are not prerequisites for the material success of the developing world. Indeed, on the contrary.